Process of preparing wood pulp



' W. N. CORNELL.

PROCESS OP PREPARING WOOD PULP.

Patented July 29, 1890.

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UNITED STATns FaTnnT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM N.V CORNELL, OF PUIIASIII, NEIV YORK.

PROCESS OF PREPARING WOOD PULP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,326, dated July 29, 1890.

Application tiled June 26, 1886. Renewed June 28, 1890. Serial No. 357,089. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM N. CONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pulaski, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Preparing Wood Pulp; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates t0 a new and improved process whereby I am enabled to accurately imitate various varieties of wood in wood pulp, and in the carrying out of which I am enabled to make use of an ordinary wood-pulp machine with several additions thereto, so that it is possible to `form sheets ot wood pulp withy a natural grain imprinted thereon as readily and as economically as plain sheets.

For a better understanding of myimproved process attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a well-known form of wood-pulp machine, showing my attachment thereto for the carrying out of my improved process; and Fig. 2, a perspective view of the upper press-roll for ormin g the impression.

The machine shown in Fig. l of the drawings, it should be understood, is merely to illustrate the manner of carrying out one step of my improved process, and it should also be understood that any other well-known woodpulp machine can be used for that purpose.

In the machine shown,however, the following parts are represented:

A is the vat or trough within which the disintegrated and saturated pulp is placed.

B is the making-cylinder, working in the pulp and which carries a thin layer of pulp continuously to the felt or apron J. This felt or apron J passes around the roller G and over small auxiliary rollers D D, mounted upon the frame-work, which is supported, in the usual way, upon suitable legs or standards E E.

The rollers C and several of the auxiliary rollers D D are mounted so as to be capable of moving longitudinally in their respective bearings, as is common in many classes of machinery, so that the felt J can be kept always verytaut. The felt or apron J passes between the two rollers Gand Il, respectively, mounted horizontally upon a suitable standard F and provided with ordinary mechanism for increasing the pressure between the two. The lower roll is of the usual construction, but the upper press-roll (shown in enlarged View of Fig. 2) is made 0i' the wood that is to be imitated, and its outer surface is of the natural condition of the wood in eontradistnction from a planed or articially-smoothed surface. A suitable metal-roll matrix carved or engraved with the grain may be used in place of the wood that is to be imitated.

Power can be applied for moving the felt or apron and making-cylinderB either to the roll O, auxiliary rollers D D to the roller C, or to the making-cylinder.

Partially with the apparatus illustrated, and which has been just described, my improved process is carried out as follows: The pulp is first disintegrated in any usual form of beating-engine and is placed within the vat A, mixed with water in the usual way. To the pulp in this condition is added a suiiicient quantity of coloring-mattei', so as to color the pulp of the exact tint ot the wood that is to y be imitated. This coloring-matter can be ot' any variety desired, either mineral or vegetable pigments, and, if need be, may be applied in the beating-engine instead of in the vat. The felt and making-cylinderbeing now set in motion, a very thin layer of the watery p'ulp will adhere to the surface of the makingcylinder and will be carried up and taken ott by the felt J. This thin layer of pulp is carried by the 'felt to thepress-rolls'and is taken up by the upper press-roll, and is wound convolutionally thereon until a sufficient thickness of pulp is wound on said upper press-roll,

when it is cut off by the usual cutting-knife I. Now, as each thin layer of pulp is wound on the upper press-roll, it is imprinted in relief and depression with the impression of said roll, which is, it will be remembered, the eX- act wood that is to be imitated,- or of metal suitably carved or engraved. The roughened surface of the upper press-roll in pressing against the thin layer of pulp as they are wound thereon causes a peculiar action in the coloring-matter therein, which is as follows: The relief portions or streaks which are light- IOC est colors in the press roll in forcing the pulp to assume their form also squeeze or press the coloring-matter with which they come into contact into those portions of the pulp Where there is no pressure-. e., where the corresponding portions of the press-roll are depressed and are darker colored--so that it will be seen the pulp will be covered eX- actly like the natural Wood. In this wayfI imprint every layer of pulp that is Wound on' the upper press-roll with the exact counterfeit of a natural grain and of the exact color of the wood, and as each layer is wound over the one directly beneath the coniigurationfof the press-roll is impressed on and colors the various layers exactly the saine, so that the impression of the wood will extend entirely th rough the pulp. Thepulp Whenreinoved is iirst dried in a suitable drying-loft or byother means. It is then preferably calendered by any of the well-known processes, afte r which it is sandpapered and varnished. AIn this Way I am enabled to obtain a very correct imitation of almost any of the `,welldmown varieties of Woods, and .by means of thenalfinishing operations-viz., calendering, sandpapering, and varnishing the resultant article is ing and coloring the pulp;A in, second, carrying the thin layer to the press-rolls; `in,-third, winding the thin layers convolutionally around a press-roll made of the configuration 4o Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The process of preparing wood pulp in imitation of wood, which consists in beating the pulp and then coloring the pulp of the color of the wood that is to be imitated, and afterward formingit into sheets or boards by winding it convolutionally around a pressroll made of Vthe coniiguration ofthe wood that is to be imitated, so that the grain and ,irregularities of the face of the roll will be imprinted upon each convolutional layeron the roll and the pulp lwill be colored,substan tially as set forth.

2. The processof preparingwood pulp in imitationlof wood, which consists in beating the pulpandthen coloringthe pulp of ythe .color of the Wood that is to be imitated, and

afterward forming it Ainto sheets or boardsfby winding it convolutionally around apressroll made of the configuration of vthe wood that is to be imitated, so that the grain and irregularities of the face of the roll will be imprinted upon each convolutional layer on the roll, and then drying, caIendering, `and `sandpapering`such sheets or boards.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presenceof two Witnesses.

WILLIAM N. CORNELL. Witnesses:

L. J. CLARK, F. D. JOHNSON. 

